Oct 25 Nik Software Gets a Reprieve

A while ago it was widely reported that google were discontinuing the Nik software collection. This was a set of Lightroom and Photoshop plug-ins that have been around for ages, and which many people used and loved. They included the great Silver Efex Pro black and white tool.

Google acquired the software several years ago, and made them free (they were after the company’s mobile app) and then recently announced that they were no longer developing the applications. Many assumed that it was the end of the road. Well, maybe not, as DXO has acquired the suite of tools from google.

The new owner has stated that they will keep the suite free for now, but they also plan to continue development. This, I’m sure will be good news to many of the software’s fans.

Here’s the complete press release…

PARIS – October 25, 2017 – DxO, one of the most innovative companies in consumer imaging, today announces the acquisition of the Nik Collection assets from Google.\

DxO plans to continue development of the Nik Collection. The current version will remain available for free on DxO’s dedicated website, while a new version is planned for mid-2018.

“The Nik Collection gives photographers tools to create photos they absolutely love,” said Aravind Krishnaswamy, an Engineering Director with Google. “We’re thrilled to have DxO, a company dedicated to high-quality photography solutions, acquire and continue to develop it.”

“We are very excited to welcome the Nik Collection to the DxO family,” said Jérôme Ménière, CEO and founder of DxO. “DxO revolutionized the image processing market many times over the years with its innovative solutions, and we will continue to do so with Nik’s tools, which offer new creative opportunities to many photographers. The new version of our flagship software DxO OpticsPro, which is available as of now under its new name DxO PhotoLab, is the first embodiment of this thrilling acquisition with built-in U Point technology.”